Somerset (PnP)Class I-II
0.1 Miles
River DescriptionThis is a section of river most 'famous' for tubing. In the summer months, hoards of people beat the heat lazily foating, butt-down in inner-tubes, through the riffles and rapids on this river. Located between two flowages, power generation supplies adequate flow for this entertainment.Boaters may enjoy these same rapids, but don't expect anything near a 'pristine' experience. It may be best to take advantage of the 'off-season' (tubers generally operate from Memorial Day through Labor day). Occasional high-water (rain events) during summer may also be enjoyed, though it may be best to plan put-in either very early or very late to miss the mass of floaters who may clog the river midday (assuming warm enough weather to suit them). Jeff Bolte adds: This is the end of the popular tubing run. Go there in April and May when there are no tubes. If you must go there in June, get there around 7:30 pm when most of the tubers should be gone for the day. Get paddling clothes on before you arrive. There will be mosquitoes. All the whitewater is in a village park. The rapids itself is maybe 250 yards long with a mostly featureless mid section. There's good deep flatwater above the rapids to warm up and roll in. You can carry up and run this stretch repeatedly, catching all the little eddies, working fast water ferries, and there's a couple waves to play on. As a local slalom racer, that's why I like this run. (The popular Buttercup Series of slalom races start the season here every May on Mother's Day weekend.) The entry has a classic tongue into standing waves. Shallow water can be an issue. I have rolled a kayak below the waves and had my helmet clicking off the bottom as I got set up. (Some years back, a 'tuber' drowned in this first wave set from a foot entrapment.) A few eddies exist along the left bank but it's essentially featureless until the highway bridge 100 yards down. Under the highway bridge and down to the footbridge, the river narrows and has one boat eddies on the left, and a rock forms a small hole left center. The river squeezes under the footbridge and forms a wave train in a deep pool. There are small active eddies left and right. The first wave is the largest, the second is also stable enough to hold a surf. The rest surge and are soft. There's plenty of depth at this point for rolling or swimming. The pool shallows out quickly and flows fast. There are small eddies and rocks widely spread for the next 300 yards downriver in the village park. StreamTeam Status: unverified
Last Updated: 2005-04-01 20:03:01
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